Lake Anne Village Center Washington Plaza Design Charrette Washington Plaza at the Lake Anne Village Center Process and Recommendations Presentation to the Reston Association Board of Directors January 26, 2017 Design Charrette
Washington Plaza Design Charrette Purpose Develop physical design solutions that would enhance Washington Plaza s attributes, and the relationship between Washington Plaza and the exceptional asset of Lake Anne 1
2 Community Outreach The results of a May 2015 On-Line Survey, which was distributed by Lake Anne, A Condominium Association (LARCA) to the broader community, and a stakeholder Focus Group helped inform the Design Charrette discussion On-Line Survey. More than 100 respondents answered 12 questions - More than 60% of the respondents were LAVC residents, 20% nearby neighbors, and 8% Lake Anne merchants. Focus Group discussion Focus Group. 16 LAVC residents and business owners/managers
3 June 10, 2016 Washington Plaza Design Charrette Charrette participants tour the Washington Plaza Charrette post tour discussion Charrette team work session On-Line Survey, Focus Group, and Charrette participants Voiced concern over the lack of activity surrounding/on the lake, poor access to the lake, limited retail visibility, and lack of diversity of businesses at Washington Plaza Recognized Lake Anne as a unique, but underutilized assert
June 10, 2015 Design Charrette The Design Charrette brought together stakeholders, and planning and design professionals from the greater Washington D.C. area, including landscape architects, urban designers, architects and planners Participants believed that the revitalization of the Washington Plaza could be achieved with an increase in lake activities, by creating a more dynamic edge along the lake, and by diversifying the businesses at the plaza Presentation of team concepts Participants developed short and long term design concepts, and drawings to illustrate their ideas to enhance the relationship between the Washington Plaza and Lake Anne to attract patrons to LAVC and the water s edge 4
Concepts and Approaches Team concepts focused on ways to capitalize on the strengths of Lake Anne as part of an overall strategy to attract patrons to the Lake Anne Village Center, and to the water s edge Five approaches were developed to enhance the Lake s presence and usability Approach 1 Approach 2 Approach 3 Approach 4 Approach 5 Enhance the character of place Add attractions and improve access to lake Create a series of five outdoor rooms Improve access and wayfinding Enhance storefronts through increased transparency 5
Approach 1. Enhance the Character of Place Strategy Understand and preserve the strong distinctive elements that contribute to the character of the Lake Anne Village Center Big Ideas Enhance the character of the Lake Anne Village Center through public art Integrate concrete paver details to define spaces for restaurant seating and public walkways Highlighting architecture and uses Plaza paving design Climbable sculptures Pedestrian lighting 7 6
Approach 2. Add Attractions & Improve Access To Lake Strategy Increase public interactions at the water s edge by locating new activities at the lake Big Ideas Expand the existing dock and provide seating spaces around the lake Move boat docks and boat rentals to the southern edge of the boardwalk near the Heron House to add active uses around the lake s public edge and draw people to that end of the Plaza Add a floating restaurant or work with Plaza restaurants to offer take-out food to boaters Add signage around the lake to aid with wayfinding Cordon-off an area in the lake for ice skating in the winter and swimming in the summer 7
Approach 2. Add Attractions & Improve Access To Lake A major goal is to enhance the access to and activity level at the lake by offering elements of surprise to draw you along the lake s edge and include places to stop along the way. This would bring more life to the lake s edge and make the water a prime destination Enhance lake access by extending the dock using varied terraces at +6, +36 and +66 above water level, adding moveable furniture, and adding a green/blue wall with fountain and plants cascading down Design strategies to improve access along the lake s edge 8
Approach 3. Create a Series of Outdoor Rooms Strategy Create a series of outdoor rooms in the Washington Plaza, each with a unique character that encourages human interaction Big Ideas Design rooms so they can accommodate different uses and serve different purposes Introduce movable and comfortable furniture that encourages interaction and customization by users, not simply for resting Change the direction of the brick pavers on the ground to define the boundaries of a room Add kiosks Highlight special spaces through lighting Increase the number of shade trees Add planters to define seating areas Diagram showing locations of each of the proposed rooms and floating stage 8
Approach 4. Improve Access and Wayfinding Strategy Improve access and wayfinding to Washington Plaza and mitigate challenges created by any future development Big Ideas Where the new commercial development meet Washington Plaza design stairs to include an integrated ramp and open the area up to make it inviting Shift the existing loading dock to limit pedestrian conflict points Design the future public parking garage fore ease of use and access to Washington Plaza Consider other uses and design for the Washington Plaza Baptist Church Layout of the existing Lake Anne buildings 9
Approach 5. Enhance Storefronts Through Increased Transparency Strategy Modify the transparent portions of the Plaza s storefronts, which are framed by a uniform concrete structure Big Ideas Enhance commercial storefronts to increase transparency and make it easier for businesses to display their offerings. Improve energy efficiency with modern upgrades Detail of storefront enhancement Define activity zones adjacent to the J-Building to make it easier to window shop, access stores, and view merchandise Storefront ideas 10
Master Concept Plan The Master Concept Plan brings the ideas from the five approaches together into one conceptual design that graphically depicts how the Washington Plaza and surrounding public spaces can be enhanced, in the near and short term 11
Want More Information? Contact OCR. To view the Lake Anne Design Charrette Report in its entirety, and for more information on revitalization activities in this and other Commercial Revitalization Areas/Districts, visit OCRs website at: www.fcrevit.org OCR Contact Information Fairfax County Office of Community Revitalization (OCR) 12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 1048 Fairfax, VA 22035 703-324-9300 http://www.fcrevite.org Fairfax County is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in all County programs, services, and activities and will provide reasonable accommodations upon request. To request this information in an alternate format, call 703-324-9300 or TTY 711.